Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of inflammatory conditions of the colon and small intestine that affect over two million people in the United States and an estimated eight million people worldwide. The two phenotypes of IBD most commonly referred to are Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). CD commonly manifests as inflammation of the small intestine, but can affect other parts of the body as well. UC is usually characterized by inflammation of the mucosa of the colon and rectum. Symptoms of IBD most commonly include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stool (hematochezia), abdominal pain, and weight loss, but also may include a host of other problems. The severity of symptoms may impair the quality of life of patients that suffer from IBD.
Although the etiology of IBD is poorly understood, many theories have been proposed. UC and CD are commonly regarded as autoimmune diseases, with evidence suggesting they are the result of a misdirected immune response. The etiology of IBD appears to involve complex interactions of genetic predisposition, environmental factors, disruption of the intestinal microbiome, and an overly aggressive immune response. In addition, evidence linking the ability of intestinal epithelial cells to modify the mucosal immune response, may suggest an invasive bacterial pathway. The integrity of the gut epithelial barrier is critical in influencing progression to disease. Imbalance in intestinal microbiota of gut friendly bacteria destroyed by antibiotics as well as opportunistic pathogens are implicating factors as well. Additional factors influencing activation may include the unfolded protein response (a result of cellular stress), toll like receptors, invasive bacteria, TNF factors, DNA/RNA genetic mutations effecting encoding proteins IL-10R1-IL10R2, spontaneous mutation of normal gut bacteria, uncontrolled T-cell activation, and enteroinvasive and adherent invasive strains of E. coli bacteria. Disruption in the gut epithelial barrier when bacterial overgrowth overwhelms the body's defense mechanism to cope, the immune/inflammatory response, if left unchecked, often results in chronic inflammation, a precursor to full blown disease. The involvement of luminal bacteria as a cause of chronic inflammation and disease is well documented. See, e.g., Kucharzik et al., “Recent understanding of IBD pathogenesis: implications for future therapies,” Inflamm. Bowel Dis., 2006 November; 12(11):1068-83. Genetic studies have implicated IL12B and NOD2 in increased susceptibility to Mycobacterial disease, and suggest that this combination of genetics and bacterial infection are implicating factors in Crohn's disease as well as ulcerative colitis. The possibility therefore exists as to Mycobacterium infection being among the several microbial triggers in IBD.
Patients with IBD have been reported to house an abnormal microbiota. Whether this altered flora is the cause or the result of chronic inflammation remains unclear. As yet, questions remain whether commensal enteric bacteria or invasive strains of pathogenic bacteria, particularly Escherichia coli, are a direct trigger cause in IBD. Both may be contributing factors in different subsets of patients.
Involvement of intestinal microflora in the pathogenesis of IBD has been suggested but trials on the use of antibiotic treatment in patients with UC have produced contrasting results. See, for example, M. Guslandi, “Antibiotics for inflammatory bowel disease: do they work?” Eur. J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol., 2005 February; 17(2):145-7; Gionchetti et al., “Review—antibiotic treatment in inflammatory bowel disease: rifaximin, a new possible approach,” Eur. Rev. Med. Pharmacol. Sci., 1999 January-February; 3(1):27-30. However, the weight of evidence supports the use of antibiotics such as metronidazole, ciprofloxacin, or rifaximin in the treatment of IBD. See, Rubin, D. T., et al., “Role of antibiotics in the management of inflammatory bowel disease: a review,” Rev. Gastroenterol. Disord., 2005; 5 Suppl. 3:S10-5. Studies by J. T. Danzi and others demonstrate the effectiveness of adjuvant use of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprin in patients with CD and UC in terms of steroid withdrawal and maintenance of remission. See Danzi, J. T. “Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole Therapy of Inflammatory Bowel Disease,” Gastroenterology, Vol. 96, No. 5, Part 2, p. A110. However, the use of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprin as a first-line therapy, rather than as an adjuvant to immunosuppressant therapy, is not suggested.
One complication associated with the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics is the depletion of beneficial microflora in the gut, leading to opportunistic infection by competing bacteria in the intestine, including Clostridium difficile. C. difficile infection can limit the duration of antibiotic therapy and can lead to pseudomembranous colitis, which may compound the symptoms of IBD. See Trnka, Y. M., et al., “Association of Clostridium difficile toxin with symptomatic relapse of chronic inflammatory bowel disease,” Gastroenterology, 1981 April; 80(4):693-6; Freeman, H. J., “Recent developments on the role of Clostridium difficile in inflammatory bowel disease,” World J. Gastroenterol., 2008 May 14; 14(18):2794-6. In fact, it has been suggested that the frequent use of broad spectrum antibiotics in treating IBD could exacerbate symptoms and prevent remission of UC symptoms. See Miner, J. et al., “Steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis treated with corticosteroids, metronidazole and vancomycin: a case report,” BMC Gastroenterol., 2005; 5:3. Many antibiotics currently used have been ineffective in achieving sustained control of remission in part due to dosage and duration.
Probiotics are live microbial organisms that beneficially affect the microbiome of the host and treatment of various disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, including IBD, using probiotics is well-known. See, e.g., Schultz M., et al, “Rationale for probiotic treatment strategies in inflammatory bowel disease,” Expert Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol., 2008 June; 2(3):337-55. For example, treatment of IBD using specific probiotic E. coli strains is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,018,629, to Jacob et al. Likewise, prophylaxis and treatment of IBD with an endogenous strain of Bifidobacterium is described in U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2002/0006432, to Collins et al. However, probiotics alone will not cure IBD, nor will they be a direct cause of remission.
The combination of probiotics and antibiotics has been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,461,607 to S. Farmer describes therapeutic compositions for the treatment of a gastrointestinal infection caused by pathogenic bacteria, comprising antibiotic-resistant lactic-acid producing bacteria and an antibiotic, although no mention is made of the treatment of IBD.
There clearly is a continuing need for new therapies in the treatment and control of IBD. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide compositions and methods for an alternative treatment option for IBD.